Rachel stepped into the ballroom, thinking back to all of those nights with Tarin in this room. Dancing, laughing, swaying to the music until they couldn’t stand it anymore. Then their race to his bed and…oh, my. She wanted that back. She wanted to be with him, and dance with him, and…!
“Honey, why do you insist on wearing those awful floral dresses?” Denise sneered. “They haven’t been in style for decades.”
Rachel swung around, finding her sister in a glorious evening gown of emerald silk that clung to her figure and made her eyes sparkle even more brightly than normal. Her auburn hair was swept up into a sophisticated twist with small curls dancing daintily around her beautiful features which had been made up with an expert hand. Her makeup wasn’t heavy, but it enhanced her features perfectly, making Denise look like a delicate angel in emerald green.
Her mother sidled up to them with two glasses of champagne. She handed one to Denise and pointedly ignored Rachel, gazing out over the crowd as if she owned the place.
“You look beautiful, Mother,” Rachel murmured, eyeing her mother’s gorgeous dress of champagne silk, decorated with an elaborate beaded design along the bodice, and flaring out in champagne colored chiffon to the floor.
Beside them, Rachel felt…invisible. Before, when she’d first seen the flowing, moss green dress with shimmering flowers that had been mysteriously delivered to her, she’d gasped in delight. She’d dressed here at the palace, because she’d had so many things to check on prior to the event tonight. That meant that she’d only had time to pull her hair up into a simple bun. But she’d still felt pretty in the unexpected dress, especially since it had come with a note from Tarin asking her to wear it tonight.
Now, she felt silly and childish. Silly and unsophisticated and invisible.
“I have some things to check on,” she told her family, stepping away.
“Yes, go and finish your work, dear. But when we get back to Atlanta, I’ll expect you to be more efficient. Never leave things to the last minute.”
Rachel stopped and stared at her mother, shocked all over again. Tarin’s words earlier today had been filtering through her mind and one word kept coming back to her. “Toxic,” she whispered, her lips barely moving.
Denise’s turned sharp eyes towards her. “What was that?” she asked, not bothering to hide her sneer. “You really need to speak up, Rachel. Enunciate. No one likes someone who mutters.”
Rachel tilted her head, hearing the words, but…she didn’t feel her armor crack. She glanced back as she walked away, seeing her mother and her sister bend their heads together as if conspiring, dividing up the room into quadrants, forming a battle plan.
And Rachel didn’t doubt that was exactly what they were doing. Watching, she felt another dent in her armor pop back into place. But…it wasn’t armor exactly. Was it her confidence?
Turning, she left the ballroom, her family oblivious to her departure. Hell, they were oblivious to her!
Or were they?
The question stopped her in her tracks. She paused, one hand reaching for the wall and she shook her head, trying to bring the thought together. Bullies were insecure people. Her mother and sister were bullies! They were mean and demoralizing and patronizing and…terrible people! She’d known this all her life, but…why would they focus their horrible comments on her? Surely they weren’t jealous of her…were they?
The thought was so astounding that she forgot to breathe as she considered the possibility.
“Rachel!” someone called her. It took her a moment to turn and face the person racing towards her. But as she lifted her eyes, her shoulders pulled back, and her lips curled into a smile. Confidence was…heady and powerful! “Yes?” she replied, smiling even more brightly.
The man asked his question and she gave him directions. He moved off, but another person approached. For the next hour, she wandered through the ballroom, the kitchen, and the security office answering questions and ensuring that the gala went off without a hitch.
And the whole time, she thought frantically, trying to figure out what was going on inside her head. And her heart!
One thing she was absolutely certain about…she loved Tarin. And without the haze of humiliation clouding her vision, she suspected that Tarin loved her. Was it possible?
Stepping into the ballroom, her gaze zeroed in on his tall form. Leaning against the doorjamb, she watched, thinking about how he touched her when they were alone, or the way he’d look at her when they were with others. Could that be love?
In that moment, he turned, his eyes searching the crowd. For her? Could he feel her gaze?
Sure enough, he caught her looking at him and she smiled. His eyes warmed and she could see his intent even from this distance.
Everyone was dancing and having a good time, the champagne flowing, tables filled with food and waiters moved among the guests, offering appetizers to those who weren’t ready for dinner yet. It was a magical evening and she’d done this, Rachel thought with pride. She’d coordinated this event where everyone was enjoying themselves! It had been her, along with an army of staff, but her ideas and her efforts!
Tarin paused, drinking in her figure in the moss green chiffon dress with the shimmering flowers. She knew that he didn’t think her dress was wrong. He’d chosen it and she felt…beautiful.
“Stop it!” her mother hissed, moving to stand beside her. “You’re making a fool of yourself!”
Rachel turned slowly to look at her mother, surprised by the acid in her tone.
“Don’t worry, Mother,” Denise whispered. “I’ll stand on her other side. Everyone will assume that he’s staring at me. It will be okay.”
“I can’t believe we still have to protect you like this,” her mother grumbled, pasting on a fake smile as she sipped her champagne.
Rachel eyed her sister, watched her preen and pretend to laugh. Why was she laughing? For a moment, Rachel wondered if the rest of the room thought she looked silly too. Or was it just Rachel, seeing her family with new eyes?
“I don’t look silly, and I’m not making a fool of myself,” she said flatly.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” her mother snapped.
“He’s coming towards us!” Denise hissed. “Shut up and let me do the talking.”
Rachel didn’t even bother to look at her sister. Instead, she focused on Tarin as he came towards her and she shivered at the intent in his eyes. Un-blinded, she saw it. She actually saw the love he felt for her glowing in his eyes!
“Good evening ladies,” he said and Rachel dipped into a perfect curtsy. She felt her mother and sister stare at her, then both of them reacted. Just as Rachel rose from her deep, elegant curtsy, her mother and sister started theirs, fumbling a bit. A curtsy looked easy because the people who knew they’d need to curtsy practiced the movement until it was perfect. But Pamela and Denise were too arrogant and unschooled in palace protocols, so they hadn’t bothered to ask what the appropriate greeting was for a member of the royal family.
Rachel watched with silent amusement as her mother and sister tried valiantly to perform an elegant curtsy – and failed! As they rose, she focused her attention on Tarin. “You look very dashing tonight, Your Highness,” and her eyes twinkled as she used his title. Rachel even giggled when she heard his growling response.
“And you look exceptionally beautiful, Ms. Morris,” he replied in return, just as teasingly formal.
Rachel beamed and started to step closer, intending to whisper in his ear. But Denise elbowed her way between them, forcing Rachel to reel backwards, startled. Rachel heard several gasps from the guests closest who had witnessed the horrible faux pas, but she didn’t look around, preferring to rise above and pretend as if her sister hadn’t just done something horribly rude.
Tarin, on the other hand, wasn’t about to ignore it! “Excuse me, Miss Morris,” he said to Denise with an icy frown, “But you just interrupted Rachel. Please step back.” His last three words were clipped and succinct.
Denise pulled out her best smile, tilted her head in a coquettish manner, and moved closer. “Look, I know that Rachel is your secretary and you’re trying to be nice and all, but she won’t mind if we dance. I know she’ll understand.”
“First of all, Rachel is my project manager, and the best I’ve ever worked with. She is exceptionally talented and incredibly valuable.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “Secondly, don’t ever interrupt me or step in front of me.” Tarin sighed, obviously striving for patience. “Now, I’d like to speak with Rachel. Step back.”
Denise seemed oblivious to his set down and waved a hand dismissively at Rachel. “Oh, just…let her be. She’ll shrink away and go find a wall to lean on. Why don’t we…?”
“I’m going to dance with Rachel, Miss Morris. If you don’t…!”
Denise snickered and looked behind her. “Rachel doesn’t dance! She’s tried so many times before.” Denise turned and looped her arm through Tarin’s, rubbing her breast against his arm. “You should have seen her when she tried ballet lessons! She stumbled all over the floor, falling on her face several times. She’d come home covered with bruises and sobbing her heart out! It would have been funny if it wasn’t so embarrassing.”
“That’s a lie,” Rachel declared, not angrily, but calmly. With her newfound understanding of Denise, Rachel felt stronger, like she see could see through their subtle as well as not-so-subtle abuse.
Pamela stepped forward, nudging Rachel out of the way. “Of course it’s the truth, dear. If you don’t remember it that way, then that’s your problem.” She simpered up at Tarin. “The girl was completely useless on the dance floor, Your Highness. It was amusing, but of course a mother doesn’t like to see her daughter in pain, so I stopped her from attending those classes.”
“She’s actually a beautiful dancer,” he announced, extricating his arm from Denise’s hold – and not even bothering to be subtle about it.
Denise and Pamela looked stunned, but recovered quickly. “Oh, don’t tease. You’ll only encourage her.”
Tarin moved pointedly away from Denise and reached for Rachel’s hand. “Come ‘Duteille’, we need to talk.”
Rachel hesitated, the name “Duteille” sparking memories from that afternoon in Paris. The man…the man trapped in a stone wall, cursed to watch the world pass him by!
“I’m not….” she stopped, then looked at her mother and sister. That’s when she laughed. Her mother and sister were literally standing between her and Tarin. They were forming a wall!
“Who is Duteille?” Denise asked. “Is that a nickname you gave to Rachel?” She leaned forward slightly, as if she was about to say something intimate. “She’s such a silly girl, isn’t she?” She preened for a moment. “If you’d care to dance, Your Highness, I would thoroughly enjoy being in your arms.”
At that particular moment, the music swelled and the familiar strains hit her. Rachel recognized the music, her eyes widening with surprise and…horror? Yes, a bit of horror, but also a rush of laughter. “No!” she gasped, her eyes widening and she slapped a hand over her mouth, an old habit that she’d thought she’d banished.
“Yes!” Tarin replied with a wicked smile filled with promise, stepping around Denise and taking Rachel’s hand. Rachel returned his smile, unaware of the hatred in Denise’s gaze or the malevolent look her mother shot at her. Rachel only had eyes for Tarin.
“I’m not good enough yet,” she whispered, hesitating as he led her on to the dance floor.
“You’re a natural,” he countered, and guided her into the crowd of dancers.
At that moment, the music swelled again and Rachel automatically put her hand on his shoulder, sliding her fingers into his. The opening sounds of the Tango surprised everyone and, because it was such a complicated dance, most of the crowd migrated off the dance floor.
Tarin moved forward and she stepped up, staring into his eyes, all the love she felt for him revealed to the occupants of the room. The smile that formed on her face was slow, but unconsciously sexy as she countered and pushed him backwards. Shifting right and left, forward and backwards, to the right, then to the left, spinning and charging, countering…reveling the way the chiffon of her dress floated around her legs. The music and the feel of his hands, the look in his eyes pushed away everything else. In Rachel’s mind, there was no audience, no bright lights overhead. In her mind, it was just the two of them and they were naked, in his suite. Every time he pushed, she eased back, but then pushed forward again, defending herself, not allowing him to control her. A moment later, he spun her around and “confusion” reigned, but he caught her in his arms, “confusion” controlled. Again and again, he lunged and she countered, moving to the sound of the music and the feel of his hands. It was just the two of them. Just her, feeling him against her body.
When the dance came to a crescendo, her heart was pounding and she couldn’t stop the love from shining in her eyes. Another spin and then…she fell into his arms in a deep dip, his strong body holding her carefully. Safely. He would always catch her, she thought.
The applause was almost deafening as Rachel came back to the present. Tarin pulled her straight, and kept his arm around her waist. The two of them acknowledged the crowd with a nod, and Tarin led her off the dance floor.
Several people stopped them, gushing that Rachel looked amazing out there and asked how she’d learned. “He taught me,” she explained to everyone who asked, referring to Tarin as she walked beside him, her hand tucked onto his elbow and his hand over hers, probably to ensure that she stayed there and didn’t pull away.
“Goodness, that was amazing!” Harper gushed, hugging Rachel. “I want to learn to dance like that!”
Tarin grinned. “Rachel is a gifted dancer. I’d be happy to teach you too since my big brother is completely inept.”
Amit glared at him.
But it was Rachel who gasped her outrage. “You will not!” she yelped, and probably revealed too much when she blushed. Tarin, the rogue, knew exactly what she meant and pulled her in for a hug. “I’ll only dance with you, my love.”
“You’d better,” she grumbled, leaning her head against his shoulder. “You’re mine.”
He stilled and looked down at her, his eyes unreadable as he said, “Come with me.”
Rachel didn’t have a chance to protest since he dragged her out of the ballroom. Because there were so many people everywhere, it was difficult to find a private space, but eventually, he found an empty room and pulled her inside, slamming the door behind them. “Am I?” he demanded.
Rachel was completely out of breath, not just from the frantic race out of the ballroom, but also from the heated look in his eyes. “Are you what?” she asked. She reached out, needing the comfort of his touch.
“Am I yours?” he demanded, moving closer, pulling her flush against him.
She held her breath as she stared up at him. “I want you to be mine,” she admitted. “I’ve been such a fool this week, but I don’t want to be Duteille any longer. I don’t want to be frozen in my life, just watching the world pass me by.” She lifted up onto her toes and kissed him gently. “I want to be all the way in,” she concluded, and waited for his response.
“It’s about time!” he groaned, wrapping his arms around her and spinning her around, kissing her with all of the pent up passion that he’d tried to ignore while she’d been with her family.
When he put her back on the floor, they were both panting. “I don’t want you around your family, if you can even call those people that, anymore. You have a new family. Starting now!”
“Okay,” she said, beaming up at him.
“That means marriage, Rachel. I want my ring on your finger!” He dug into his pocket and produced a stunning diamond ring. “If you accept this, it means more than just our engagement. It means that you’ll be with me forever. And you’ll recognize how bad your family is and get rid of them. I’m serious, your mother and sister are evil and your father is weak, allowing them to do whatever to him. You need and deserve so much more than that.”
“Okay,” she replied, stunning them both.
His eyes widened, then narrowed as he looked down at her. “Okay? Just…okay?”
She laughed. “You’re right, Tarin. I’ve been letting them manipulate me for too long. I can’t let it continue. And…” she blushed, but his hands tightened around her waist, giving her courage. “Well, if we have children, I don’t want my family to…”
She couldn’t finish again because he kissed her. She melted into his kiss and she wanted to laugh and cry and scream with happiness. She felt liberated! For the first time in so long, she was completely and amazingly free! She hadn’t realized until this moment how much her family dragged her down. But it was time to break free from that toxicity and find her happiness. They’ll just have to survive without her and, whatever happens to their business, would happen because of their ineptitude.
“I love you,” he murmured against her lips.
“I love you too,” she replied, kissing him with all of the love she felt in her heart.